I’m not dead,
It’s just that my body has become redundant
Although I finally wore it out
It allowed me to laugh and hug,
To run and dance and explore.
To work and share and love.
It has served me well.

Send my body to the flames
To release the elements of life.

There is no need of clergy or funeral traditions,
What I need now can best be done by friends.
No need for talk of golden streets or resurrection life,
Or angel pins or sand crosses from an undertaker’s flask.
Seek comfort in the people still together
Not in hopes of a dreamland far away.

Please celebrate my life and our time together
With songs and stories, with laughter and with tears.
Eat a hearty meal with beverage, food, and music.
Sing and dance and celebrate my joy of living.

Although I have a stone to mark my time on earth
This is only a marker, not a place of repose.
I will not rest in peace, but mingle with the starlight,
And dance on the morning breeze.

I came from light and love,
And I have returned,
Stronger, brighter, thanks to all you
Who have shared my journey here on earth.